Fares that don't make sense

[pennyk]

Would anyone be able to tell me the lowest bucket prices for end to end travel on the longest routes — Empire Builder, Southwest Chief, silvers, Crescent, etc. I realize this is not an exact science. Ballpark figure would be fine.

Bucket charts may be found in this thread:

https://www.amtraktrains.com/thread...eeper-fares-buckets.77062/page-7#post-1015821

 

[Mike Nogrady]

My daughter has recently ridden Northeast Regional trains from 128 to Stamford with two children, 7 and 4. She was forced to pay an adult fare for the 7 year old. Not a fair fare! Is this a system-wide policy?
Mike

 

[AmtrakBlue]

My daughter has recently ridden Northeast Regional trains from 128 to Stamford with two children, 7 and 4. She was forced to pay an adult fare for the 7 year old. Not a fair fare! Is this a system-wide policy?
Mike

I'm guessing it's one child per adult, so one child got the child's fare and the other did not.

 

[PVD]

I don't read the fare restriction that way. Maybe she put one on a separate resv for some reason (or dealt with an agent who did it wrong in which case she should ask for credit.)
https://www.amtrak.com/deals-discounts/everyday-discounts/children-discounts.html

 

[AmtrakBlue]

I don't read the fare restriction that way. Maybe she put one on a separate resv for some reason (or dealt with an agent who did it wrong in which case she should ask for credit.)
https://www.amtrak.com/deals-discounts/everyday-discounts/children-discounts.html

I forgot that they changed the policy to exclude the # of adults/per child restriction. So maybe the agent did book it wrong (if she used an agent). If she used the website, maybe there's a glitch (aka, someone forgot to modify the code behind scenes). Yes, she should contact Customer Relations to try to get a refund for the difference.

 

[PVD]

Either scenario is definitely a possibility for sure. The policy as written now is pretty lenient.

 

[Mike Nogrady]

Either scenario is definitely a possibility for sure. The policy as written now is pretty lenient.

NewYork by rail website:
"One child ages 2 – 12 is eligible to receive a 50% discount on the lowest available adult rail fare on most Amtrak trains with each fare-paying adult (age 18+). If any additional child per adult will be traveling, reservations must be made for that child as an “Adult” and the full adult fare will be charged."
This is discrimination against single parents!

 

[AmtrakBlue]

NewYork by rail website:
"One child ages 2 – 12 is eligible to receive a 50% discount on the lowest available adult rail fare on most Amtrak trains with each fare-paying adult (age 18+). If any additional child per adult will be traveling, reservations must be made for that child as an “Adult” and the full adult fare will be charged."
This is discrimination against single parents!

That’s old info. They’ve changed the rules. See PVD’s post.

 

[Mike Nogrady]

The PVD quote starts "one child" and doesn't address the two children/one adult issue.

 

[PVD]

No, it starts with one infant- that is different since they don't get a seat, they ride in your lap. A second infant pays. What's wrong with that?

 

[Mike Nogrady]

No, it starts with one infant- that is different since they don't get a seat, they ride in your lap. A second infant pays. What's wrong with that?

"One child ages 2 – 12 is eligible to receive a 50% discount on the lowest available adult rail fare on most Amtrak trains with each fare-paying adult". I.E. one half fare child per accompanying adult.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

"One child ages 2 – 12 is eligible to receive a 50% discount on the lowest available adult rail fare on most Amtrak trains with each fare-paying adult". I.E. one half fare child per accompanying adult.

The link he provide says

All children 2-12 years of age may travel at fifty percent off the adult fare.

 

[beatles78]

I cannot believe the cost of a bedroom on Amtrak now....sigh. It's like triple the price like 4 years later. If these prices continue, I will not be traveling Amtrak again, and I MUCH prefer train travel over flying any day.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

I cannot believe the cost of a bedroom on Amtrak now....sigh. It's like triple the price like 4 years later. If these prices continue, I will not be traveling Amtrak again, and I MUCH prefer train travel over flying any day.

Join the club. What remains of the active sleeper fleet is priced so high it dwarfs all other scheduled services. You could fly first class, rent a limo, or charter a basic general aviation flight for the same or less than a bedroom on Amtrak. While replacements are supposedly on the way I would not expect to see meaningful fleet replacement for at least a decade and possibly longer than that. Making me wonder how much higher these prices can go between now and then.

 

[Amtrakfflyer]

I’ve posted here before and people said it’s comparing apples and oranges but I just booked it again and I don’t think it is. We used to take the SWC from Chicago area to SoCal twice a year to see the in-laws. We’d pay less then $1000 one way for the family room and fly home.

Now with it being consistently over $2000 one way enough is enough. We fly. This is the second year in a row we’re doing Chicago Cancun on United 4 nights all inclusive on the beach $1800 for 4 people out the door. My travel dollar is my travel dollar and right now it doesn’t go to Amtrak.

So many issues having trains with one sleeping car in the consists. The SWC has one family room period. If someone books it for a short segment it zeroes it out for the entire trip for someone like us looking to go the entire way. We are guilty of it too we’ve booked it in the past Galesburg to Chicago a 3 hour trip. Regardless Amtraks poor planning has lost many good loyal customers like us, how long will the one and done customers that are paying these high fares last is anyone’s guess.

 

[Sidney]

Amtrak’s pricing has gone “off the rails”. Call it dynamic pricing, what the market will allow or whatever, as a dedicated Amtrak rider for decades, I m finding I can no longer justify what Amtrak asks. $2000 plus bedrooms from Chicago to the West Coast are routine. Even roomettes have skyrocketed. I have taken the Texas Eagle from LA to Chicago often and until recently the one person senior fare for a roomette was $600. Now the lowest I can find is $960. The Sunset’s LAX to NOL for years,low bucket was $495. Now the lowest I can find is over $1000.

The only bargains I can find are on the Zephyr or Builder if you book very close to your travel dates. Obviously Amtrak couldn’t sell them at their inflated prices, so they revert to low bucket days or a week before departure.

I last rode in January on the Zephyr at $591 from Chicago to Davis and LA to Chicago on the Chief for $621. Lowest price I can now find on the Chief is $767.

Obviously people will pay what Amtrak charges. Being retired I am flexible, but low fares are getting harder and harder to find and I will not pay $1000 or more for basically a three day two night trip.

 

[Brian Battuello]

I agree completely. I thought my Amtrak room days were over, but as related elsewhere I was spiritually directed to a steal on a Denver/Boston CZ/LSL run a month or so ago. I don't think it will happen again.

It's been a fun 50 years!

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Call it dynamic pricing, what the market will allow or whatever

I'm seeing a lot of "success at/near lowest possible bid" reports that imply Gardner-era sleepers are priced beyond what much of the market will bear. There is a vast middle ground between Amtrak's sleeper fares and the lowest bids but rather than re-balance they'd rather customers gamble on what they get.

 

[Brian Battuello]

Is there any evidence that sleepers are going unused? Airlines have gotten really good at filling seats. The classic marketing line is that the perfect flight leaves with one empty seat.

 

[Sidney]

I'm seeing a lot of "success at/near lowest possible bid" reports that imply Gardner-era sleepers are priced beyond what much of the market will bear. There is a vast middle ground between Amtrak's sleeper fares and the lowest bids but rather than re-balance they'd rather customers gamble on what they get.

Last year I booked Coach from Portland to LA. Lowest price on roomettes were almost $700. I did a bid up of $250, about $40 more than the minimum. With the Coach fare of $95 that put the entire trip at $345. I got the bid up. This is happening quite a bit,I would imagine.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Is there any evidence that sleepers are going unused?

I don't think sleepers are going out empty, but a surprising number seem to be selling at or near the minimum bid. I would pay more than the minimum bid to have a guaranteed sleeper, but Amtrak would rather price me out for ten months and then offer it for a song through a third party at the last minute.

 

[Sidney]

I don't think sleepers are going out empty, but a surprising number seem to be selling at or near the minimum bid. I would pay more than the minimum bid to have a guaranteed sleeper, but Amtrak would rather price me out for ten months and then offer it for a song through a third party at the last minute.

That is precisely what is wrong with Amtrak’s inane pricing structure

 

[MARC Rider]

Fares are pretty eye-watering high, especially after May. But in addition to $800+ CHI-EMY roommates and $3000 bedrooms, I did see a few days where the bedrooms were "SOLD OUT." I guess the can fill ten $3000 bedrooms and get $30,000, why should they want to add another sleeper and sell 15 bedrooms at, say, $900 each to yield only $13,500? Fewer sleeper passengers means that they can also save costs on foodservice. Three sleepers might mean they need to increase the staffing levels in the dining car, and that might affect the financial viability of traditional dining.

Of course, if the high bedroom prices are resulting in unsold inventory, then there's a problem. If I had oversight authority, I would probably look into the issue.

By the way, they were quoting coach fares Chicago to Emeryville of $108.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

I guess [they] can fill ten $3000 bedrooms and get $30,000, why should they want to add another sleeper and sell 15 bedrooms at, say, $900 each to yield only $13,500? Fewer sleeper passengers means that they can also save costs on foodservice. Three sleepers might mean they need to increase the staffing levels in the dining car, and that might affect the financial viability of traditional dining.

Just run coach-only trains with vending machines. One conductor and one coach attendant. The more you slash the more you save!

 

[Sauve850]

Is there any evidence that sleepers are going unused? Airlines have gotten really good at filling seats. The classic marketing line is that the perfect flight leaves with one empty seat.

My last two summers I had bedroom B in Cardinal (1st week of September) Chicago to Charlottesville 2022 and Chicago to Alexandria 2023. Bedroom A was not taken but was used by my SCA to spend a lot of time on her cell phone.